Setting Up Kids for Long Term Health

June 15, 2026

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Transcript:

Kara: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition, brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. If you're listening today, chances are you have a child in your life that you care about and want to set up for success. You may have been hearing about the rising rates of childhood health issues for years now, both physically and mentally.

You may have heard sentiments of “When I was growing up, we didn't have these health issues that kids are facing today.” So why are kids' health issues rising? Well, it's not surprising. We're going to be talking about the role that diet plays in kids' health and how to set them up for feeling their best, both short term and long term. We're really excited to dive into this important topic today.

Before we get started, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Kara Carper. I'm a Licensed Nutritionist, and I'm excited to be here again with Registered Dietitian, Brandy Buro, my favorite cohost.

Brandy: Thanks, Kara. It's great to be here with you. I always love it when we have a chance to record a show together. I'm really excited about this topic. This is a topic that I find really important, you know, from a public health perspective. Just what can we do to support our children's health and habits, knowing that's going to establish their habits in adult life and kind of determine their health long term.

This is something that I studied as part of my thesis for my graduate degree, actually: factors that influence childhood obesity. So this is something that's just always been really near and dear to my heart, and I'm excited to explore it on this level with you and our listeners today. Because I think we often think about like chronic health issues as something that only comes up in our adult years. But the truth is that chronic diseases begin decades earlier.

The habits that children learn today, even as young as three, four years old, can dramatically influence their future health and their risk for developing diseases. So that's what we're talking about today. We're discussing the impact of ultra-processed foods on children, the rise in childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, and other health concerns, but more importantly, the dietary habits that can help children thrive today and into their adult years.

Kara: Research shows that two-thirds of calories consumed by American children are coming from ultra-processed foods. That's alarming that the vast majority of food that kids are eating are ultra-processed. That just means that the food does not resemble its original form whatsoever.

Brandy: That's right. It's not a real food. You can't really identify exactly where it came from.

Kara: And these foods include cereals, often sugary, but even just regular cold cereal is turning into a lot of sugar, even if it doesn't have added sugar. Chips, soda, energy drinks, coffee drinks, a lot of those have extra sugar and bad fats. Fast food, packaged snacks, candy, and a lot of other convenience foods. If you're a parent, you probably know that these are the foods that kids gravitate towards.

It's the foods that a lot of their friends are eating and their classmates. So it can be a real struggle to get them to eat healthier. And especially there's that peer issue, right? Kids see what other kids are eating and it tastes good, it looks good, and often their friends are sharing. So it can get kind of complicated. But the more that we can influence what's going on at home, the less likely kids are to always be eating the processed snack foods.

Brandy: A hundred percent. Yeah, that home environment is so important and that is something that as parents you have some say in. And I think it's really concerning that the percentage of ultra processed food consumption has increased dramatically over the past few decades.

Health conditions have increased in kids

So ultra processed food intake has risen and we're also seeing an increase in health conditions that we once considered exclusive to adults. And type 2 diabetes is, I think, a striking example of that. In the past, type 2 diabetes was primarily diagnosed only in middle aged adults.

In fact, even when I was going to dietetic school, they were still referring to type two diabetes as adult onset diabetes. But we are seeing cases of type two diabetes occur more frequently in children and teenagers now. So this terminology isn't accurate anymore.

Kara: Right. They had to change the terminology because of real life experiences. Here's an alarming statistic. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that approximately one in five teens has prediabetes. That means their blood sugar levels are elevated and on the way to progressing into type 2 diabetes.

Kara: You know, it's not just diabetes that the concern is though. We're also seeing increasing rates of fatty liver disease. And, you know, in children and teens, it's almost always non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, lots and lots of cases of anxiety and or depression, ADHD symptoms, sleep disturbances, digestive problems, and even autoimmune conditions at younger and younger ages.

Nutrition plays a big role in preventing certain health conditions

Brandy: Yeah, it's kind of startling. And we know that a variety of factors can contribute to these conditions developing, but I would say nutrition is one of the biggest players in all of that. And it may not always be obvious to see that connection with food. For example, we work a lot with adolescents on anxiety, mood, and ADHD all the time here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. And on a personal note, anxiety was something that I struggled a lot with as a teen growing up and I didn't make that connection until much later in my adult life that my diet had a lot to do with some of those symptoms.

So now it's so rewarding to help my younger clients make this connection early on in the food choices they're making and how that's impacting how they feel, how that's impacting their mood. I think it's just an important teaching point to set them up for success early on, you know, that they have a little more control in how they feel just through the food that they eat.

And you can still enjoy a healthy diet and enjoy your food. You know, it doesn't have to be sad or boring, but it's all about teaching children and teens how to make better choices, thinking about healthier swaps or upgrades, as I like to call them. We're just getting into this topic today, but later on in the show we are going to dive deeper into what some healthy food options are for snacks and meals that I think are pretty like kid friendly.

What are ultra processed foods?

Kara: That'll be the fun part of the show. So let's take a moment to define ultra processed foods. We've used that term a few times. We're saying that ultra processed foods really are a big cause when it comes to all these health concerns. These are factory made foods containing ingredients that you wouldn't typically see in your own kitchen. So if you turn over an item at the grocery store and you see on the ingredient list things like artificial flavors or artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, modified starch, emulsifiers, preservatives, hydrogenated oils;

There's more chemicals than that. That's just kind of a short list. But foods that contain those types of ingredients, they're actually designed by food companies to be highly palatable, almost an addictive nature. They're easy to overeat and they're easy to kind of displace other more nutritious foods that your body is craving. So you end up eating kind of all these empty calories. And still don't feel satisfied and your body is not nourished. So there's often still hunger and cravings.

Brandy: Yeah, the fact is ultra processed foods are also nutrient void. And because they're designed to have you coming back for more, it's like the diet overall is missing a lot. There's a lot of holes there. And parents, I think, can be surprised to learn that foods that are marketed directly to their children are often some of the most processed foods available on the market. These products are even going as far to market them as “healthy foods” using terms like whole grain or high protein, kind of tapping into some of those buzzwords. They may even say in big letters on the front label, provides 100% of your daily need of vitamin D or vitamin C.

But at the same time, they're loaded with sugar and they're loaded with those ultra processed ingredients that we just kind of went through. But honestly, the best kinds of foods to feed any human body no matter what your age is does not come with a billboard on the front or a novel of an ingredients list. So remember that food companies at the end of the day are a business.

They are geared towards selling you their product. So the more highly palatable and the more visually appealing something is to children, the more it's going to sell, the more money they make.

Kara: And think about all the advertising. You don't see commercials for broccoli.

Brandy: No you don't.

Kara: You see commercials for soda and fruit snacks and cold cereal. You know, it's all for the bottom line. It's not looking out for the health of our youth. So we have to be the informed, educated ones.

Effects of ultra processed foods on children’s health (the blood sugar connection)

Let's talk about the effects of these ultra processed foods on children's health. What actually happens when children eat a diet that's dominated by ultra-processed foods? Let's start with discussing blood sugar or blood glucose levels. Highly processed foods are rapidly digested and convert into glucose or sugar in the bloodstream. And this creates blood sugar spikes.

Now, when we eat a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast, let's say with some milk, maybe a sliced banana, the blood sugar is going to go up too high, whether you're a kid or an adult. So once it goes up too high, the pancreas makes insulin. If the blood sugar is too high, the pancreas will likely overcompensate and produce more insulin than the body prefers. So then the glucose tends to crash and go too low, you know, an hour or two after eating.

So those blood sugar crashes can manifest as irritability, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, hunger, or cravings for more sugar or carbohydrates, fatigue, but also hyperactivity. So it's a real mix of what can occur from low blood sugar.

Brandy: Yeah, I think a lot of things children go through, whether it's mood or energy levels, often can be traced back to blood sugar issues. Same thing with adults.

Kara: And behavior issues as well, whether that's at home or at school. Every parent can relate to their kids having some of those symptoms. Most parents have seen the effect when their kids eat too much sugar and the blood sugar goes too high and then it crashes and then they notice like different behavior or poor moods. But it's difficult to make that connection between some of those behaviors and moods and what the child has eaten.

So for example, I had mentioned breakfast cereal. And that's a pretty common breakfast, especially for kids. And unfortunately, it's been marketed as a healthy choice. Especially like Brandy said, on the label, it might say whole grain or fortified with such and such vitamin or mineral. Boxed cereal, it's high carbohydrate, it's lacking in protein, it's lacking in healthy fat.

And so it's easy when having a bowl or two of cereal for the blood sugar to go way too high and then it's going to crash. And then maybe the kid is at school having a hard time concentrating, acting out, feeling like they need to take a nap.

Brandy: Yeah, common experience. And you kind of explained this, Kara, but when those blood sugar spikes happen, we're also experiencing an insulin spike. So every time blood sugar spikes, our body is pumping out a ton of insulin. Now, over time, if this happens repeatedly, our cells start to become less responsive to the signal from insulin.

So they kind of become desensitized in a way to the signal of insulin. And this is kind of the very first step in developing insulin resistance, which over time is the pathway towards developing type 2 diabetes. And like we mentioned earlier, childhood prediabetes and type 2 diabetes have been on the rise for the last few decades, which is a new phenomenon that has come out with the increased intake of ultra-processed foods.

Type 2 diabetes, again, was once considered only an adult disease. We never saw type 2 diabetes in children. But now the CDC is projecting that the number of young people living with type 2 diabetes could increase by as much as 700% by 2060. So in the next 30 years.

Kara: And like we mentioned earlier, about one in five adolescents in the United States currently has prediabetes. Prediabetes, we've done podcasts on this before. That it should not be a wait and see. That's a big red flag.

Brandy: Huge red flag, you know, if you wait and see, what you'll see is diabetes.

Kara: Right, with all the complications that go along with type two diabetes. So prediabetes is a warning that the body is already struggling to regulate glucose or blood sugar. And like Brandy had just explained very well, the path to insulin resistance, that's when the body's cells no longer respond effectively to insulin. And that sets the stage for type two diabetes and other metabolic diseases later in life.

Brandy: Yeah, and it's common to assume that childhood obesity is the biggest dietary issues that kids face. But from a nutrition perspective, I would argue that the number one diet-related health problem is that blood sugar dysregulation and insulin resistance. That is often what precedes the presence of obesity because insulin resistance leads to weight gain.

And insulin resistance develops very slowly and silently. You're not going to see signs of it until it's already somewhat advanced. So a child may appear completely healthy and may not have any obvious symptoms, but they may be having elevated blood sugar levels and elevated insulin levels, maybe even increased inflammation. Hormone disruptions are more apparent if they're in that stage of life, you know, in puberty. So those are all some things that are kind of smoking guns before we may even see any concerns around weight.

Kara: And then, you know, the second stage of that, when appearance starts to change, and maybe we are starting to see some weight gain, it often begins around that midsection in the abdominal area. That's a body sign of probable insulin resistance. If a child develops insulin resistance at a young age, they're more likely to develop health conditions later in life. And some of these include type two diabetes, fatty liver disease;

Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, PMOS; also in the past was known as PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome. So listeners, you'll start seeing that new terminology, the PMOS. It's the same syndrome. It's an endocrine dysregulated type of a diagnosis. Heart disease is another one. So dietary habits are a lot more than just keeping children at a healthy weight. You know, we have to look at the long term plan in addressing blood sugar balance early on in life is one of the most powerful investments parents can make in their child's future health.

Brandy: I agree with that a hundred and ten percent. And you mentioned health risks later in life, but ultra-processed foods also promote numerous concerns during childhood. Some common ones are asthma, eczema, getting sick often, maybe they're catching absolutely every bug that comes through, mood disorders, and digestive issues, things like frequent stomach aches, constipation, diarrhea, even acid reflux. And of course excess gas, flatulence, painful bloating, any sort of digestive concern that can be directly connected to somebody's diet.

Kara: And I just want to tag on, you had said asthma and eczema, frequent illness. Also, I think allergies. You know, a lot of times they're just a sign of a microbiome or an intestinal health that could use some healing. You're listening to Dishing Up Nutrition. I'm Kara Carper, a licensed nutritionist, and I'm here today with Brandy Buro, a licensed and registered dietitian. And our topic is setting up kids for long-term health. We'll be back in a moment.

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Brandy: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. My name is Brandy Buro, and I'm here with Kara Carper. Our topic today is setting up kids for long-term health. And so far, we have been discussing the impact of you know increased intake of ultra-processed foods and how that's impacting our children's current health, mood, energy, and how it's also increasing their risk of developing chronic diseases later in life.

Nutrient deficiencies are associated with ultra processed foods

And we've been talking about, you know, some examples of ultra processed foods and the side effects that might have and some of the biochemistry around that. But I know one other topic I want to talk about is the nutrition component. The ultra processed foods and the nutrition or the lack of nutrition that they're providing for our children. So maybe you could elaborate on that a little bit, Kara.

Kara: Yeah, Brandy, another major issue with an ultra-processed food diet is nutrient deficiencies. This is a real concern because when kids fill up on ultra-processed foods, they're automatically eating fewer nutrient-dense foods. So they're missing out on quality protein, healthy fats, even essential fatty acids like omega-3 fats. They're missing out on minerals that are really important, like zinc. Three out of four people of all ages in the United States are thought to be deficient in zinc anyway.

Brandy: Wow.

Kara: So an ultra-processed diet is only exacerbating that. Iron is another important mineral. There can easily be a deficiency in that, as well as magnesium and key vitamins, like some of the B vitamins, vitamins A, K, E, and D, the fat-soluble vitamins. So all of these are critical for growth. They're important for immune function, for learning and brain development.

Remember, listeners, brain development occurs through age 25. So we've talked about the risk of chronic disease later in life when the diet consists of a lot of ultra-processed foods. But we're also concerned about how diet is affecting their current day life, whether it's being able to focus, you know, their cognitive performance or ability to learn in school or at home, plus good moods and energy.

I mean, that's so important for kids and they're less likely to have good moods and energy and focus if they're eating sugar and bad fats, low protein, which are all part of the ultra processed food spectrum. Every parent knows how hard it is when your child is sick. And so you really want to support their immune system to be at its best by giving them proper nutrients.

Sugar weakens the immune system

And here's something surprising. I remember the first time I learned this, I was surprised. Sugar weakens the immune system. And so it was probably 20 years ago. I was reading a nutrition book called Nutrition Made Simple. And this was written by Robert Crayhon. And there was a section in the book where he states that sugar paralyzes the immune system.

Brandy: Wow.

Kara: That's always stuck with me. And I think he said that high sugary foods and beverages can kind of shut down and turn off the immune system for several hours. So if someone is susceptible to catching a virus or bacteria and their immune system is suppressed from eating a lot of sugar, they're more likely to catch whatever's going around.

Brandy: Yeah, paralyzes the immune system. That's really striking.

Overall health & quality of life is the focus, not weight

And it's such a good point that diet is it is so much more than just like a tool to manage weight. As we're learning, there's a lot more that goes into this, of course. I think a lot of people think about food in black and white terms, like this is either going to help me lose weight or it's going to make me gain weight.

But body size or that number on the scale is not a very accurate reflection of your metabolic health. So when I'm meeting with a child or a teen, I am not focused on their weight. We're focused first on their overall health and their quality of life. We always take a health first approach here with all of our clients. We're never going to, you know, make recommendations that compromise the health of any person just in pursuit of a number on a scale. And when we're working with children, you know, we're focusing on healthy bodies, healthy brains, and their quality of life, because that's huge.

Kara: And same Brandy, when I'm working with a child or an adolescent, I like to focus on their brain health, their energy, their mental health and emotional health, how is their immune system? We want that to be nice and robust and strong. And then if there are any concerns about skin or digestion, those are really important things to focus on as well.

Brandy: And those can be really motivating for a child or a teenager to focus on something that I mean it has a significant impact on how they move through the world.

Kara: And the nice thing about that is that focusing on all of these things naturally leads to starting to shed some body weight and body fat.

Nutrition solutions

So let's shift over to some nutrition solutions. And I know it can feel overwhelming for parents, so we encourage you to just start small. Don't try to overhaul everything in a day or a week or even a month. It's the small, consistent changes that eventually will create these big results.

Brandy: Right.

Kara: Kids are often resistant to the thought of eating healthy because they assume it's going to be boring. It's not going to taste good. So a really good place to start is just starting small and prioritizing protein at breakfast. That actually sets the tone for the entire day.

Brandy: Yeah, exactly. A breakfast that has enough protein is immediately going to stabilize blood sugar levels and improve focus for those first few hours of their school day. So a few good examples of a protein rich breakfast: I love eggs, and you can do a lot with eggs. Egg bites or egg bakes are very popular with the kids that I'm working with. Nitrate free sausages go over pretty well, easy to prepare.

Maybe even like a Greek yogurt parfait, plain Greek yogurt, no sugar added, just add some fruit, maybe some nuts or sugar-free granola, even cottage cheese if they're into that. And then protein shakes, fan favorite, protein shakes with some fruit, protein powder, maybe a little peanut butter. We also have a few recipes on our website, weightandwellness.com, for homemade protein bars and protein muffins. And those are great make-a-head items that pack very well in a backpack.

Kara: And those can be grab and go in the morning too. Like if parents' kids are running late and running out the door and breakfast hasn't been eaten, that's a great time to grab like a protein muffin.

Brandy: I agree. Yeah, I love it for that. There's another recipe that is really great. We've got a three-ingredient protein pancake. It's basically an egg or two, a banana, and a scoop of peanut butter. You put that in a blender and it makes like a pancake batter. And it cooks up just like a pancake. And it's very well balanced because we have the three things you need protein, carbohydrate, and healthy fat.

One of the main things I would stay away from when it comes to breakfast foods is breakfast cereal. Even if it advertises that it is whole grain or healthy on the front, breakfast cereals are considered ultra processed foods, are nine times out of ten very high in carbohydrates, low in protein and healthy fat. So that is going to be an instant blood sugar spike.

Kara: And if you've been listening to us even for a short time, you've probably heard us on our podcasts discuss why carbohydrates on their own will spike blood sugar. That's because we really need the other two important macronutrients, high quality protein and healthy fats. And those both work to kind of anchor or stabilize our blood sugar. So for kids, having that pancake recipe in the morning, the banana is a healthy like fruit carbohydrate.

Peanut butter is a healthy fat, and then the egg, of course, is a healthy protein. So combining those three macronutrients helps to stabilize blood sugar, prevent the spike and the crash.

Brandy: That's basically the recipe you want to follow for every meal. We always want to have protein, real food carbs, and healthy fat. That's the blood sugar balancing recipe.

Kara: Yeah, the magic of three. Including a balance of the protein, the healthy fats, and preferably fiber-rich carbohydrates at every meal and every snack, that's going to be key to stabilize blood sugar that helps with moods and energy and focus. For example, a lot of kids' snack foods, we think of those as colorful, individually packaged, kind of fun, sweet.

You know, it might be like fruit snacks. And so instead of a fruit snack, you know, maybe we start filling up a bento box that has three sections. And we could put a little bit of fresh fruit, we could put some cut-up vegetables, cubed cheese, or nitrate free meats, nuts, seeds, nut butters, gluten-free crackers. These are all things that could be put in containers or bento boxes or whatever works for your family. And that could be for lunch and snacks for the day.

Brandy: And I think it helps too if you involve children in the decision making there. Like, okay, here are three fruits you could choose from, which one do you want? Just giving them a little bit of say. I think that gives them a little more incentive to actually eat what's in that lunch.

Kara: Yeah, like hey, do you want cherry tomatoes today or snap peas or cut up cucumbers for your vegetables? If you'd like more ideas for kids' snack foods, we have a mini “Ask a Nutritionist” episode this week, and it's all about healthy summer snacks for kids. So be sure to give that a listen.

Reduce/eliminate sugar sweetened beverages (& healthier swaps!)

Brandy: The next thing I want to talk about, I think is one of the biggest issues when it comes to what we need to prioritize and think about in our diet, and that's sugar-sweetened beverages. We need to start reducing, if not eliminating, liquid sugar, candy in a cup, right? Sugary drinks, it's one of the fastest ways to spike your blood sugar and lead to behavioral and cognitive issues. So eliminate soda. Drastically limit or eliminate juices and sports drinks, lemonade;

Sweet tea, chocolate milk. These are all sugar-sweetened drinks. And for the older kids, the sugary coffee drinks are becoming really popular these days, and we have to start thinking about that too. Those often contain more sugar than soda ounce per ounce. Plus, there's usually artificial flavoring in those as well.

So instead, let's think about some healthier swaps. Water first. You know, this is never going to change. The human body needs water, no matter how old you are. And you can still infuse some flavor into plain water. You know, you can add fruit, you could add mint, you could even sweeten it a little bit with stevia drops.

Sparkling water is a great substitute for soda if you like that effervescence. Unsweetened iced tea, or even like brewing some fun herbal teas, like a hibiscus tea, can be a fun way to add some flavor. One product that I often recommend is the Key Greens & Fruit Powder. It's kind of like a lemonade or Kool-Aid alternative, but there's no sugar added.

It is sweetened with either stevia or monk fruit, which are acceptable sweeteners that don't spike blood sugar. Comes in lots of different flavors, so that can be kind of fun. And the perk about this is that it also provides antioxidants. So one serving is about the same as 20 servings of fruits and vegetables in terms of the antioxidant profile. So that's always a good option if we need sort of a bridge from transitioning off of soda or off of like a Kool Aid type beverage.

Kara: Yeah, the Key Greens, there's a lot of great flavors. You had mentioned some, and they can fill in what we call nutritional gaps, but it's not a replacement for eating vegetables and fruit. It's a way to get more antioxidants and kind of add a nice fun flavor to the water.

Tips for getting vegetables in

But let's talk about how to get real vegetables in. And I think the key is to serve them regularly, give different options, prepare them different ways, and try to not pressure the kids. I mean, most kids of all ages don't want to be told what to do.

Brandy: Right.

Kara: Right. And so if we kind of present it more as a choice, like you had mentioned, Brandy, you know, and with every meal and snack, ideally there's going to be a vegetable offered. I'll be honest, at our house, we have not been able to integrate vegetables in my daughter's breakfast. But we're really good about having a vegetable at lunch and dinner. Repeated exposure matters. And they say children often need ten to twenty exposures before they embrace a new food.

Brandy: Yeah. So if you're struggling out there and it's like, well, we've tried, well, you may have to try 20 times and that's not crazy.

Kara: Yeah, and don't give up. And make it normalized to eat vegetables. Children mirror what adults do. And so making it fun, I mean, you can do kebabs. You can put vegetables on toothpicks or kebab sticks. Think of like cherry tomatoes, chunks of cucumber, or my daughter really likes red pepper. And often, especially the younger kids, will be more likely to eat the vegetables if it's presented in kind of an interesting or fun way.

Brandy: Yeah, I like to say we have to eat the rainbow and just focusing on variety and color like that in and of itself can make it fun. But I think the most important thing you said is that children are going to mirror what you are doing. They are going to learn what to eat based on what their caregivers are doing. So as long as you are modeling what you expect your children to do, you have a better chance of being successful with that.

The importance of healthy fats

And I do want to mention that healthy fats are extremely important. You know, vegetables are important, of course, but healthy fats equally important. Every brain is composed mostly of fat. And because their brains are still developing, they do need to incorporate enough fat with every meal and snack to support healthy brain function and development.

But this is also going to help balance blood sugar and support stable moods. So some examples of healthy fats would be things like avocado, olives, nuts and seeds, or even nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter. Sunflower butter is a great nut-free alternative to that. Even just plain butter.

Put that on some cooked vegetables. That makes them much more palatable and delicious. A couple other ideas like a homemade ranch dressing. It's a recipe we have on our website. That's a great veggie dip that would be considered healthy fat. So check that out.

Eat meals together whenever possible

Kara: Another tip is to eat meals together whenever possible. Family meals are associated with better dietary quality and healthier long-term eating habits. And you know, these days, evenings are often packed with activities, whether it's sports or other extracurricular activities. So we know it's not always possible to sit down and have family dinner.

But if you can kind of map out on your calendar, like, okay, Wednesdays, we're all home by 6:30. So let's kind of dedicate Wednesdays to family dinner night. More would be better, but even just a couple times a week.

Brandy: Yeah do what you can.

Kara: It's modeling positive eating behaviors for kids.

Brandy: A hundred percent. And that is one of the strongest predictors of adult eating habits is what was modeled by their parents and caregivers during childhood. So if a child is growing up and they see home cooked meals, vegetables are offered at every single dinner, there's protein with their breakfast, they have balanced real food snacks to choose from instead of, you know, the packaged cheese crackers;

Those are the patterns that they're going to adopt and continue into adulthood. Somebody doesn't turn twenty-one and suddenly have “adult eating habits”. They're going to have the same eating habits they've had until that point.

Kara: But also it's never too late. In fact, I was just meeting with a very regular client and she shared with me that her husband, who I believe they're both in their seventies, and she said, just out of nowhere one day, a couple months ago, he's like, You know, I'm in my seventies. Why am I eating like a teenager? And he changed his eating. He lost 15 pounds, but he's feeling better. Anyway, it's a really cool story.

Brandy: Yeah, well it is never too late, right?

Practical tips for busy families

Kara: Healthy habits tend to compound over time though, so the sooner that you can start, the better. And the goal is not perfection, it's building a foundation. So we want to share some practical tips for busy families. And I'll start with some easy swaps. So instead of cold cereal for breakfast, try eggs cooked in butter. So there's your protein and your healthy fat. And then just a serving of fruit on the side.

Could be a small apple or a half cup of berries. Another one that we like at our house is plain whole milk yogurt. I like the kind that Fage: F-A-G-E. I like to get the 5% plain. I do stir in some vanilla whey protein powder. And sometimes I will also stir in a little bit of chocolate or strawberry Key Greens. So then it's kind of like a vanilla berry or a vanilla chocolate.

Kara: You know, you can add a little fruit on that. You could put a scoop of nut butter. And that's a very balanced breakfast.

Brandy: And that sounds delicious. And then I think of snacks: instead of chips or fruit snacks, maybe we could do some nitrate-free deli meat or a meat stick or a cheese stick. You know, that covers your protein. And then we can add in some nuts and a piece of fruit. And again, have a couple options for fruit. They can decide what they prefer.

I like clementines. They're easy to peel. Maybe something that just looks interesting and fun at the grocery store, like kiwis or cherries. And then we think of what are they drinking? Instead of soda or juice or sports drinks, again, we could try the Key Greens powder mixed in plain water. You could even put it in sparkling water.

Kara: That's a great idea. We have a lot of sparkling water at our house. Variety packs. And my daughter drinks at least one a day. It's a great way to get an extra, you know, 12 ounces of hydration. And instead of frozen breakfast sandwiches or frozen waffles, you could try making your own egg muffins ahead of time would be best, maybe on a Sunday. Do this in a muffin tin. And that's just a quick heat and eat breakfast. Pop it in the toaster oven or the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds and you're ready to go.

Brandy: Perfect.

Kara: And every meal or snack is an opportunity for improvement. It doesn't matter where you're starting from. If your diet mostly consists of ultra processed foods, I had mentioned earlier, you know, maybe choose one meal like breakfast and focus on that for a few weeks and just come up with ways to incorporate protein at breakfast and kind of start steering away from the cold breakfast cereal or the high carbohydrate foods. You don't need a perfect diet. I certainly don't have a perfect diet. We simply make the most nutrient dense balanced decisions we can given our options.

Brandy: That's right. Do the best you can with what you've got. And this is where meeting with someone like me or Kara or any of the other dietitians here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, that can be one step to take to help make some of these changes, set yourself up for success, set your family up for success, because we are here to support you. We are not here to judge you.

Schedule Nutrition Counseling

And I think sometimes before meeting with a dietitian, people think that they need to come already in a good place with an A on their report card. But really that's not the case. We are here to meet you exactly where you are and go from there.

Kara: And we know that feeding kids is a challenge. Let's face it, feeding ourselves is a challenge. So we are here to support you. We're here to help you and walk you through this. You can find out more about our nutrition counseling on our website, weightandwellness.com, or give us a call, 651-699-3438. And it's great, Brandy. Lately we're in network with so many insurance plans.

Check On Insurance Coverage for Nutrition Counseling!

So definitely check on that as well. Check with your insurance company. And we can help you navigate that. If you have questions on that, you can certainly give that number a call and they can kind of walk you through that process of how to best check with your insurance provider.

Wrapping it up

Brandy: Yeah, normally after setting up an account, you will know what your insurance benefits are within a day or two. It's a pretty quick process. Well, let's start wrapping up our conversation from today. Remember that the habits children learn today create the foundation for the rest of their life, for their future health. Healthy eating is not about dieting, it's not about restricting, or eating in pursuit of a certain number on the scale or a body size. It's really about giving kids the nutrients they need for their brain to develop and their bodies to thrive.

Kara: Small changes do add up. Prioritize protein, healthy fats, and real food carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits. Reduce ultra processed foods, stabilize blood sugar levels, and just focus on consistency. Thanks for joining us today on Dishing Up Nutrition. Our goal at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to help each and every person experience better health through eating real food. It's a simple yet powerful message. Thank you for listening and enjoy your day.